College Counseling

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Planning Her

Future

Preparing for college begins with careful consideration and intentional planning.

With more than 3,000 four-year college destinations to choose from in the U.S. alone, parents need a thoughtful partner to help them successfully complete their daughter’s college journey.

The GPS college counseling team comes alongside families as they plan for, better understand, and navigate the often-shifting terrain of the college admission landscape.

A Year-by-Year College Counseling Experience

Freshman Year

Each girl focuses on her transition to upper school—academically, socially, and emotionally. She is encouraged to explore her options, try new activities, get involved in both the school community and the community at large, and discover her interests.

Sophomore Year

Each girl is paired with a college counselor with whom she will meet in the spring. She is encouraged to reflect on her high school experiences thus far and consider how she wishes to approach the second half of her upper school experience. Her college counselor will begin a personalized discussion about standardized testing plans and course selection.

Junior Year

Each girl is encouraged to meet with college admission representatives who visit campus and the school’s college fairs. She and her family meet with her counselor for a comprehensive conversation about her college search and upcoming application experience. Her college counselor provides a curriculum for her, hosts a panel discussion with admission deans for parents and students, and provides other constituent education programs.

Senior Year

Each girl is encouraged to attend a summer workshop, where she will hone her résumé, essay, and other important components of her college application. Once school begins, she meets individually and in seminars with her college counselor to discuss admission strategies, fine tune her application, edit essays, and to reflect on what she is seeking in her next step beyond GPS. At the end of the college counseling journey, we know each girl is prepared for what awaits her beyond GPS!

The college counseling office helped me understand what I wanted and didn’t want in college—an essential first step because it let me see my college decision clearly before things like grades and finances altered my ultimate decision. My college counselor helped me calm down and see the bigger picture of it all: You will end up where you are meant to be.” Tess A. '25